Sneaky Pooch Ingests Toxic Amount of Minoxidil
MINNEAPOLIS, July 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- People often name their pets after their personalities. When Susan Carney named her newborn Cocker Spaniel Tornado, she had no idea how accurate she would be.
"Tornado definitely lives up to his name," said Carney from New Port Richey, Florida. "I was there for his birth, so I've been in his life since second one. He was the biggest pup and actually pushed out the runt."
That initial burst of exuberance was just a taste of things to come.
"My significant other, Graham, had just filled a prescription for 60 minoxidil tablets," Carney continued. "He was reading the label and set the bottle on the table. He then went outside, and I was taking a nap. While we weren't looking, Tornado snatched the prescription bottle and took it out the doggy door. Fortunately, Tornado's mom, Miss Spitfire, came into my room and jumped on my stomach to wake me. She wanted to alert me that Tornado was doing something naughty."
When Carney went looking for Tornado, she found him on the back porch with remnants of the chewed-up prescription bottle. She only found one pill, so she knew Tornado could be in trouble and immediately called the toxicology experts at Pet Poison Helpline.
"Tornado season may be winding down, but it is the perfect time to remind people to keep their medications out of reach for pets and children," said Dr. Renee Schmid, a senior veterinary toxicologist and director of Veterinary Medicine at Pet Poison Helpline. "In Tornado's case, getting him to treatment immediately for the toxic exposure was critical."
Carney first took Tornado to their regular veterinarian at Animal Hospital of Regency Park, where they induced vomiting. Because he needed continued care, he was then taken to BluePearl Pet Hospital Clearwater. Once at BluePearl, the medical team was concerned that the exposure could lead to dangerous cardiovascular signs. Minoxidil can cause significant changes in heart rate, blood pressure, as well as structural damage to the heart.
Cats can also develop pulmonary edema and pleural effusion (fluid accumulation in the lungs and chest cavity). Due to the risks, the toxicology experts recommended inducing vomiting and giving medical grade activated charcoal to help minimize absorption of minoxidil. Close monitoring of Tornado's heart rate, blood pressure, and rhythm, as well as intravenous fluids and specific medication for cardiovascular abnormalities were recommended.
Tornado developed significant tachycardia (increased heart rate) that required treatment, but fortunately, this was caught early and with the heroics and attentive care from the BluePearl Pet Hospital Clearwater veterinarians and staff, they were able to quickly treat Tornado before more severe signs developed.
"When we got there, he was acting like a tornado; running around barking, happy and here for everybody," Carney joked. The medication can affect the heart, but fortunately the cardiologist said we caught it early enough for us to successfully treat him. This was really scary for me. I was like a mom with her kid."
Tornado was kept overnight for observation and released the next day. According to Carney, he is still creating loveable storms.
Pet Poison Helpline created Toxin Tails to educate the veterinary community and pet lovers on the many types of poisoning dangers facing pets, both in and out of the home. All the pets highlighted in Toxin Tails have been successfully treated for the poisoning and fully recovered.
About Pet Poison Helpline
Pet Poison Helpline®, your trusted source for toxicology and pet health advice in times of potential emergency, is available 24 hours, seven days a week for pet owners and veterinary professionals who require assistance treating a potentially poisoned pet. Per incident and subscription service options are available. We are an independent, nationally recognized animal poison control center triple licensed by the Boards of Veterinary Medicine, Medicine and Pharmacy providing unmatched professional leadership and expertise. Our veterinarians and board-certified toxicologists provide treatment advice for all species, including dogs, cats, birds, small mammals, large animals and exotic species. As the most cost-effective option for animal poison control care, Pet Poison Helpline's fee of $89 per incident includes follow-up consultations for the duration of the case. The company also offers pethelpline(SM) and pethelplinePRO(SM) subscription services directly to pet lovers. Based in Minneapolis, Pet Poison Helpline is available in North America by calling 800-213-6680. Additional information, including a chat feature for pet owners, can be found online at www.petpoisonhelpline.com.
Contact: Curtis Steinhoff
Pet Poison Helpline®
(602) 300-8466
[email protected]
SOURCE Pet Poison Helpline
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